Nationality Italian American Name Valter Longo | Fields Cell biology, Gerontology | |
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Born October 9, 1967 (age 56)
Genoa, Italy ( 1967-10-09 ) Institutions USC Davis School of Gerontology Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles | ||
Doctoral advisor Joan S. Valentine | ||
Intermittent, but prolonged, calorie restriction may improve metabolic markers
Valter D. Longo (born October 9, 1967) is an Italian-American biogerontologist and cell biologist known for his studies on the role of starvation and nutrient response genes on cellular protection aging and diseases and for proposing that longevity is regulated by similar genes and mechanisms in many eukaryotes. He is currently a professor at the USC Davis School of Gerontology with a joint appointment in the department of Biological Sciences as well as serving as the director of the USC Longevity Institute.
Contents
- Intermittent but prolonged calorie restriction may improve metabolic markers
- Dr valter longo fasting cycles retard growth of tumors
- Career
- Fasting mimicking diet
- Honors
- Potential conflicts of interest
- References
Dr valter longo fasting cycles retard growth of tumors
Career
Originally from Genoa, Italy, Valter Longo attended the University of North Texas majoring in Biochemistry.
In 1992 he joined the laboratory of "calorie restriction" pioneer Roy Walford at UCLA where he studied calorie restriction and aging of the immune system. He completed his PhD work in Biochemistry studying antioxidant enzymes and anti-aging genes under Joan Valentine at UCLA in 1997 and his postdoctoral training in the neurobiology of Alzheimer's Disease under Caleb Finch at the University of Southern California. Since 1997 he has been a faculty member at the USC Davis School of Gerontology and Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center.
Longo is a member of the formation of USC's Biology of Aging program as well as the director of the USC Longevity Institute, also launched the USC Davis School of Gerontology's first study-abroad program, a summer class in the nutrition and genetics of aging in Italy.
In 2011, he was profiled on Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman for his longevity-related research.
Fasting mimicking diet
Longo's fasting-mimicking diet is a low-calorie, low-protein, low-carbohydrate, high-fat meal program that is claimed to mimic the effects of periodic fasting or water fasting over the course of five days, while still aiming to provide the body with nutrition. FMD is considered a periodic fast.
Longo developed the diet at the University of Southern California. Longo believes that it is possible to mimic the effects of fasting with a meal program that is designed to inhibit the same metabolic pathways fasting would, thereby providing the body with nutrients that do not trigger the body’s growth responses.
Longo sells the diet through ProLon. Fasting mimicking diet is trademarked by L-Nutra, a company owned by Longo with financial interest by USC, though Longo does not receive financial benefit from the company.
Honors
Potential conflicts of interest
Valter Longo is a founder of a L-Nutra Inc., a company that markets food supplements. However he has stated that he receives no profit from this company, and his goal is to be able to distribute these products at as low cost as possible to patients. He has declared to Italian TV to have donated his quota to charity organizations (Italia 1 channel, Le Iene, October 9, 2016).